What is Application Security and why is it important?
Application security is a key part of maintaining and developing your security profile at the application layer. With Firewalls allowing application layer access, applications have to be robust enough to defeat an ever-increasing number of attacks which target poorly coded websites, or obsolete code which allows weak protocols and a host of other application layer attacks. Security needs to be embedded at all layers and the accessibility of (low skill) automated toolkits can now target any weak applications with numerous exploits.
It starts with secure code development, to ensure that the application itself is hardened against most known exploits and attack techniques. This is a process which can be built into your SDLC and agile delivery processes to ensure that application security remains high for the applications published.
The faster and sooner in the software development process you can find and fix security issues, the safer your enterprise will be. A common coding error could allow unverified inputs, which could then allow an attacker using SQL injection attacks to steal agency data. This is an increasingly important element to software and application design, as hackers increasingly target applications with their attacks.
Successfully introducing security into DevOps requires superior automated testing tools, but also a deep understanding of secure code and how to limit the potential risks associated with an application breach. For example, designing software where the lowest privilege level is needed to achieve a task will subsequently limit the privileges an attacker would gain should they bypass application security.